Ready Meals
In the Ready meals category, you’ll mainly find ready-made soups and sauces in jars, along with selected plant-based main-meal options (e.g. seitan). These are often recipes with roots in Asian cooking (e.g. dahl, laksa, satay), which you can easily serve with a side.
Soups usually just need heating through and serving. Sauces and mixes work as a base: add rice, noodles or potatoes, plus a portion of vegetables. When choosing, check the ingredients and allergens (e.g. peanuts, soya, gluten), and once opened, follow the instructions on the packaging. You’ll also find clearly labelled organic products in the range.
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Laksa is a classic Malaysian coconut red curry soup. Yakso makes it as a ready-to-heat...
Dahl is a classic Indian lentil soup – thicker, filling and gently spiced. Yakso makes...
Yakso organic Soto peanut soup brings the creamy texture and authentic taste of...
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Why pay attention when choosing ready meals?
Ready meals mainly differ in what you’re actually buying: sometimes it’s a soup or a heat-and-eat dish, while elsewhere it’s a sauce or a base that you finish with a side. The label is what matters: the ingredients, allergens, recommended preparation and the stated serving size.
You’ll also see products with organic certification. You can recognise these items by the “Bio” label on the website and on the pack.
What you’ll find in this category
- Ready-made soups and ready meals in jars or packs – just heat through as directed.
- Sauces and mixes as a base for a quick meal (typically with rice, noodles or potatoes).
- Plant-based options for main meals (e.g. seitan), which you can serve with a side and vegetables.
- Selected items for a vegan diet or gluten-free – always based on the information on the packaging.
How to find your way around this category
Use the label information: it will tell you whether it’s a ready meal to heat through, or a sauce/base. It’s also practical to check allergens, the serving size, and in the nutrition table, especially salt (per 100 g or per serving – depending on what the manufacturer states).
Tips for use
- Be clear whether you’re buying a ready meal or a base. With bases, plan for a side and, if needed, dilution as directed.
- For a regular lunch or dinner, add a portion of vegetables and a side to taste; with richer sauces, a simple side is often enough.
- With spiced dishes, you can adjust the flavour if needed (e.g. with lime, herbs, chilli) – but only after tasting.
- After opening, follow the instructions on the packaging (refrigerated storage and the consumption period).
FAQ
How do I know if a ready meal is vegan?
Two things are reliable: clear “vegan / suitable for vegans” labelling, and checking the ingredients and allergens. In ready meals, animal-derived ingredients can appear in the details (e.g. stock, a dairy component, eggs), so it’s worth reading the full ingredients list, not just the name.
If “vegan” isn’t stated, the label is decisive. For a quicker choice, you can also browse the vegan overview in the vegan diet category.
How can I tell if a ready meal is gluten-free?
For gluten-free products, the key is a clear “gluten-free” declaration on the packaging, along with the allergen list. Gluten can be present directly in ingredients (cereals, pasta, breadcrumbs) and also in some sauces and thickeners.
If gluten-free is essential for you, also check information about possible traces (if the manufacturer provides it). For guidance, you can also browse the gluten-free foods category.
How do I know a product is genuinely organic?
The “Bio” designation on food is tied to certification. That’s why we only use it where “Bio” appears on the packaging and the product meets the requirements. The simplest check is to confirm that “Bio” is stated both on the website and on the pack.
If “Bio” isn’t on the pack, treat the product as conventional – even if it has a short ingredients list.
Is it a ready meal to heat through, or a sauce / base for cooking?
The difference is in how the manufacturer describes use. Ready-made soups and ready meals are usually intended to be heated (and sometimes diluted as directed). Sauces and mixes often assume you’ll add a side (rice, noodles, potatoes) and sometimes additional ingredients.
The stated serving size can also help: for sauces, a serving may be defined only for the sauce itself. The final meal then depends on what you add.
How should I interpret portions for ready meals (how much is for one person)?
With ready meals, it’s best to use a combination of the pack weight + the “number of servings” (if the manufacturer provides it) + the recommended serving suggestion. A portion for soup will be different from a portion for a sauce that you finish with a side.
With sauces and mixes, treat the serving in the nutrition table as a value for the product itself. If you add rice or noodles, the overall portion increases.
What should I look at in the nutrition table for ready meals?
With ready meals, it’s often useful to watch salt in particular, and whether it’s stated per 100 g or per serving. For a fair comparison, compare values in the same unit.
With sauces and bases, also bear in mind that the final values will be affected by what you add (side, fat, vegetables). The table is a helpful guide, but always in the context of the whole portion.
How can I tell how spiced or hot the dish is?
The ingredients will tell you most – typically chilli, cayenne pepper, chilli paste or hot sauces. For some recipes, “heat” is part of the style, but intensity can vary between brands.
If you want to keep heat under control, choose based on ingredients and start with a smaller portion. With ready-made sauces, a side (rice, noodles) often softens the heat, or you can mellow it by adding another ingredient to taste.
How should I store ready meals after opening, and what does “spotřebujte do” mean?
After opening, always follow the instructions on the packaging. Most commonly, this means keeping it in the fridge and consuming it within the stated time. The pack may also specify when to use the product after opening (“spotřebujte do”), usually within a few days.
Instructions vary between products (type of packaging, preservation method, recipe), so the specific label is what matters.
For seasonal inspiration on what to include in your diet in winter, see the article: What to eat in winter to stay healthy.